2016 Press Releases

InterVarsity Press Makes Five Best of 2016 Lists

Tue, 10 Jan 2017 20:12:00 GMT

With the year coming to a close, several organizations have announced their favorite books of 2016. InterVarsity Press made the honored lists for Missio Alliance, the Englewood Review of Books, The Gospel Coalition, Books & Culture, and Image.

Missio Alliance included four IVP titles on its Essential Reading List of 2016:

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Missional-Incarnational Communities by JR Woodward and Daniel White Jr.
Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines that Shape the Church for Mission by David E. Fitch
Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering by Makoto Fujimura

John Wilson at Books & Culture also included Silence and Beauty on his Favorite Books of 2016 list. He wrote, "Fujimura's book, which takes Shusaku Endo's novel Silence as a point of departure, is particularly timely with the release of the Scorsese film." Fujimura was a consultant for Martin Scorsese's film Silence, which opens in limited theaters on December 23 with a wide release in January. Scorsese said, "Makoto Fujimura is a remarkable artist and writer, and his engagement with the writings of the great Shusaku Endo—and Silence in particular—is deep and impassioned, as you will discover on every page of this book. By way of response to a great artist, Fujimura has created a quietly eloquent meditation on art and faith, and where they converge."

Faithful Presence made a second list as well. The Englewood Review of Books chose David Fitch's book as one of the Best Theology/Church History books of 2016. The Englewood Best Books of 2016 list also included:

Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren (Christian Faith in Practice category)
Life's Too Short to Pretend You're Not Religious by David Dark (Non-Fiction Books category)

The Gospel Coalition honored two IVP titles in the 2016 TGC Book Awards:

Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule by Jonathan Leeman received the award in the Current Events category. The judges wrote, "One of the more urgent questions lingering from the 2016 presidential contest is why evangelicals are so deeply divided about the role of the church in politics. In this book, Leeman brings a biblical vocabulary and framework to this unfolding story that can help us engage with each other and the public square on this question."

Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing by Andy Crouch was named the winner in TGC's Faith and Work category. "Crouch has a good grasp of both the text of Scripture and also our cultural context, and he's a good translator, taking robust theological ideas and making them accessible to the general interest reader," the judges wrote. "His thesis that human flourishing is embedded in the paradox of both greater authority and greater vulnerability echoes Jesus's incarnation and teaching, and inspires the reader to pursue the far-reaching implications of the gospel in our broken world, even our broken work."

Image announced its Top Ten of 2016 this month, which included Modern Art and the Life of a Culture: The Religious Impulses of Modernism by Jonathan A. Anderson and William A. Dyrness. "The authors make a fascinating pair," wrote Image reviewer Gregory Wolfe. "Bill Dyrness is an elder statesman in the world of theological aesthetics while Jonathan Anderson is a young academic and art-maker; Dyrness is more interested in a historical approach while Anderson tends toward the critical and philosophical. The result is a book that, while respectful of all that's good in Rookmaaker's thought and influence, takes a much more nuanced and sympathetic view of the religious aspects that truly did haunt modernism in the visual arts... This book signals an important mid-course correction in evangelical scholarship about modern art and it should become a staple textbook in college and seminary classes."

See a complete list of IVP award winners.

The Listening Life Receives Christianity Today's 2017 Book Award

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 22:04:00 GMT

Results of Christianity Today’s 2017 Book Awards are in, and InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce that The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam S. McHugh was chosen as the book of the year in the Spiritual Formation category.

"At a time when we are drowning in words—both digital and spoken—this quiet little book throws us a life preserver," said Tish Harrison Warren, author of Liturgy of the Ordinary and a judge for the Spiritual Formation category. "The Listening Life is gentle, thoughtful, biblical, and eminently practical. It outlines a broad theology of listening alongside specific and clear practices that teach the reader to listen in a new way. Whether you are a loud lover of words or a shy lover of solitude, this book will likely convict you."

John Koessler, author of The Radical Pursuit of Rest, reviewed The Listening Life in the November 2015 issue of Christianity Today. He wrote, "Adam McHugh wants us to know that our God is also a God who hears. We should not mistake divine silence for disinterest. 'Listening begins when we learn that our heavenly Father listens to us,' writes McHugh. 'The pattern of human life may be to listen first, but with the Lord, we are always heard before we hear.' God's apparent silence is not a mark of his absence. It means that we have his full attention."

The Listening Life was also honored as Bookwi.se's Favorite Book of the Year in the Non-Fiction category, and was named the Best Christian Living Book for 2016 by the Logos Association Bookstore Award.

Four other IVP titles were honored with special recognition as part of Christianity Today's 2017 Book Awards:

The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World by Sandra Van Opstal was given an Award of Merit in The Church/Pastoral Leadership category. Efrem Smith, president and CEO of World Impact and a judge for the category, said, "In a time of great ethnic diversity—but also division—this book is sorely needed. Van Opstal provides a practical theology and missional framework for why we must rethink the corporate experience of worship. Her vision goes beyond building a diverse worship team or singing songs in an unfamiliar language. I pray every pastor and worship leader will read this book."

Insider Jesus: Theological Reflections on New Christian Movements by William Dyrness received the Award of Merit in the Missions/Global Church category. Kent Annan, author of Slow Kingdom Coming, said, "The word insider in the title is accurate but also misleading, because the joy of reading this book is learning more about how God acts and moves in people's lives outside of where and how we might expect. Dyrness takes us through the Bible, theology, history, culture, and case studies to open our eyes to different ways Jesus is being followed today. As a result, our eyes are opened to God's redemptive grace moving creatively in the world. And we're better prepared for thoughtful missions work that participates in God's story without imposing unnecessary cultural baggage."

Taking Pascal's Wager: Faith, Evidence and the Abundant Life by Michael Rota was honored with the Award of Merit in the Apologetics/Evangelism category. "Rota, a skilled analytic philosopher, provides an engaging and compelling case for taking Pascal's wager,” said Chad Meister, professor of philosophy and theology at Bethel College, Indiana. "The precision of the points is manifest on every page. But what makes the book even more profitable is its accessible prose. Inviting, charitable, and provocative—this is the sort of book that one could heartily give to a believer, agnostic, or even an ardent atheist. A home-run for Christian apologetics."

The Award of Merit winner in the Culture and the Arts category was Modern Art and the Life of a Culture: The Religious Impulses of Modernism by Jonathan Anderson and William Dyrness. Wade Bearden, a writer, film critic, and category judge, said, "Just what should Christians think of modern art? Is it void of all religious impulses and persuasions? Or is there a deeper vision often left unexplored? Rather than writing off the last century and a half of visual art as purely secular, Anderson and Dyrness meticulously detail the patterns of piety and spirituality that both influenced and empowered artists like van Gogh, Gauguin, Kandinsky, and Warhol."

See a complete list of IVP award winners.

Silence and Beauty Author Serves as Consultant on Long-Awaited Martin Scorsese Film

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:29:00 GMT

When IVP author Makoto Fujimura was weighing whether to write a book inspired by Shusaku Endo's 1966 classic novel Silence, a friend introduced him to Martin Scorsese, who had been considering a film about the same book for nearly thirty years. That conversation with Scorsese led Fujimura to move ahead with writing his book and to become a consultant for Scorsese's Silence, which is set for limited release on December 23.

Makoto Fujimura, author of Silence and Beauty

Fujimura's book, Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering, is a hopeful companion to Scorsese's film, taking up the difficult themes it depicts.

Josh Larsen, co-host of the radio show and podcast Filmspotting and author of the forthcoming IVP title Movies Are Prayers, read Silence and Beauty and recently saw a preview of Silence. Larsen said, "After experiencing Martin Scorsese's intense, evocative Silence, viewers will be hungry for the very thing Makoto Fujimura's Silence and Beauty offers: fascinating historical and cultural context, as well as a personal testimony of the way Fujimura's own convictions have been formed by the Endo book that Scorsese beautifully brings to the screen."

Hailed as one of the greatest works of twentieth-century Japanese literature, Endo's novel, Silence, tells the story of the persecution of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who encounter bloody resistance and persecution from local leaders in seventeenth-century Japan as they undertake a quest to find their fallen mentor. Endo's narrative raises uncomfortable questions about God and the ambiguity of faith in the midst of suffering and hostility. Glenn Whipp of the Los Angeles Times described the film adaptation featuring Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield as "a probing and deeply spiritual examination of faith tested by the seeming silence of God."

"The film adaptation of Silence is much more than what anyone could have predicted—majestic, soul-stirring and historic," Fujimura said. "The movie, as a visual testament, stays faithful to Shusaku Endo's masterpiece, and remains faithful to the 17th century martyrs of Japan. It is a movie for 'such a time as this.'"

An internationally renowned visual artist, Fujimura in Silence and Beauty lends a personal interpretation of Endo's book as he overlaps his artistic faith journey with Endo's, uncovering deep layers of meaning in Japanese history and literature, expressed in art both past and present. He finds connections to how faith is lived in contemporary contexts of trauma and glimpses of how the gospel is conveyed in Christ-hidden cultures. Philip Yancey, a bestselling Christian author, said, "Only Mako Fujimura could have written this book. It sheds light on a wealth of topics—a classic novel, Japanese culture, Martin Scorsese's filmmaking, the fine arts, theology, the enigmas of East and West—and leaves the reader with a startlingly new encounter with Christ."

IVP publisher Jeff Crosby said, "I first read Endo's Silence in the 1980s at the suggestion of Philip Yancey. It was both painful and riveting and unforgettable all at the same time, as Scorsese's film adaptation will no doubt be. I'm grateful for the chance that IVP has had to publish into the conversations generated by that book and by the film through Makoto's powerful Silence and Beauty. In many ways, it serves as both a primer and an interpreter for the other two and, like them, challenges we readers—and viewers—to recognize that what on one level is abject failure can, at times, be the beginning of a new journey toward compassion."

Thomas C. Oden, a Dynamic Figure in 20th and 21st Century Christianity, Dies

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:35:00 GMT

Thomas C. Oden, respected editor, researcher, author, and one of the most gifted ecumenical scholars of our time, passed away Thursday morning, December 8, 2016, at the age of eighty-five.

Thomas C. Oden

"Tom Oden was unique among evangelical theologians," said Dan Reid, associate publisher and IVP Academic editorial director. "At IVP Academic we look back on our long association with Tom Oden with great thankfulness and no small degree of wonder. We always felt we were caught up into something much bigger than ourselves, just as we felt Tom Oden was himself carried along by Spirit and providence. We are immensely grateful for the life of Thomas C. Oden and feel privileged to have shared in fulfilling a portion of his visionary faith, and the energy with which he lived it out."

Oden, known most recently for his advocacy for the rebirth of modern orthodoxy, spent his career researching, creating, and editing volumes that tied the modern church to its ancient and historical roots. He was the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and the Ancient Christian Doctrine series as well as the author of Classic Christianity, a revision of his three-volume systematic theology. Until his death, he served as the director of the Center for Early African Christianity at Eastern University in Pennsylvania.

"Tom Oden had a mind and heart that never rested," said Andrew T. Le Peau, former associate publisher for editorial at InterVarsity Press. "He was always exploring what new things God was up to in the world, ultimately realizing that it was what God had been doing from ancient times to the present. His unusually entrepreneurial intellect and his warmth of spirit will be dearly missed."

Oden wrote and edited hundreds of books, articles, and essays and gave speeches on such topics as church and the world, church controversies, evangelicalism, Kierkegaard, the Methodist church, church discipline, John Wesley, postmodernism, and more. His first volume with InterVarsity Press was Two Worlds (1992), which discussed the dichotomy of perishing modernity and emerging postmodernity and their impact on Christianity. He quickly followed this with the launch of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture in 1998, forever changing the face of IVP's publishing program.

"When in the 1990s he contacted IVP about a proposed commentary series drawing from the church fathers, his contagious enthusiasm carried us along into one of the most exciting chapters in our academic publishing history," said Reid. "The launch of the twenty-nine volume Ancient Christian Commentary was the immediate result, but there followed the Ancient Christian Doctrine series, the Ancient Christian Texts series, and the Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity. And mixed into these massive initiatives were his explorations of early African Christianity. Oden had drunk deeply from the springs of the early church, and his visionary and entrepreneurial instincts seemed to require an entourage of editors, scholars, and graduate students to channel his ever-expanding vision into reality."

The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture was the recipient of many awards, including the 1999 Christianity Today book award winner for Mark, the inaugural volume in the series. J. I. Packer praised the whole, writing, "The conspectus of patristic exposition that this series offers has been badly needed for several centuries, and the whole Christian world should unite to thank IVP for undertaking to fill the gap. For the ongoing ecumenical conversation, and the accurate application of early Christian thought, and the current hermeneutical debate as well, the Ancient Christian Commentary will prove itself to be a really indispensable resource."

"Tom was my Doktorvater in historical and systematic theology and passed on to me and generations of students his great love of the Triune God and the ancient legacy of patristic exegetical and Trinitarian theology," said Joel Scandrett, assistant professor of historical theology and director of the Robert E. Webber Center at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA. "As a first-year doctoral student, he asked me to be his teaching assistant in theology, and to help him organize a little project called the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. I am forever in his debt, in more ways than I can number."

Oden's lifetime of work reveals that Christians need to rely upon the wisdom of the historical church, particularly the early church, rather than exclusively on modern scholarship and theology. In his 1992 volume After Modernity... What? he called for churches "to begin to prepare the postmodern Christian community for its third millennium by returning again to the careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity."

"It was my distinct pleasure to work with Tom Oden on the formation of the Ancient Christian Commentary book club in the late 1990s,” said Jeff Crosby, publisher, InterVarsity Press. "Even more, it was a privilege to learn from his journey of faith and style of scholarship that engaged students and the church across such a wide spectrum of traditions and which called for and helped realize a 'rebirth of orthodoxy.' He will be missed."

In Oden's memoir, A Change of Heart, he writes, "I regard my serious readers as a great blessing because they have proven to be more important than thousands of standby observers. I still follow the hope of Kierkegaard in his authorship that he might reach out for 'that one single individual.' I feel as he did, that if I have only one, a single truly listening reader, I will be grateful. And I know the angels will be singing."

Oden served as the Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. Oden received a BA from the University of Oklahoma (1953) and a BD from Southern Methodist University (1956), earned his MA (1958) and PhD (1960) from Yale University, and a doctor of letters from Asbury College (1990).

Oden had a long teaching career, which included positions at Yale University, Southern Methodist University, Phillips University, Texas Medical School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the School of Theology at Claremont, the General Theological Seminary, and Drew University. He also held positions at Ruprecht Karl University in Heidelberg, Germany, the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, and Moscow State University.

Throughout his career, Oden also served in many professional and political organizations, including the American Theological Society, American Academy of Religion, Phi Beta Kappa, American Society for Christian Ethics, Rotary Club, Americans for Democratic Action, World Federalist Movement, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples. He observed the Vatican Council II (1965) and participated in the White House Conference on Urban Initiatives (1985), peace walks, demonstrations, and many other religious and political conferences. Additionally, Oden was active in the Confessing Movement in America until his passing, particularly within the United Methodist Church.

View IVP's tribute to Oden at ivpress.com/thomas-c-oden.

InterVarsity Press and Missio Alliance Announce Co-Branded Line of Books

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:26:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press (IVP) and Missio Alliance are partnering together to release a jointly-branded line of books. With a number of IVP authors serving as key voices for the work of Missio Alliance, the two organizations have formally decided to leverage the natural synergies that exist between them for the benefit of both the IVP books included and of the Missio Alliance audience.

"InterVarsity Press represents one of the finest and most discerning publishers in the Christian publishing industry," said JR Rozko, co-director of Missio Alliance, a fellowship of churches, denominations, schools, and networks partnering together to see the church in North America equipped for fuller and more faithful participation in God's mission. "We are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at IVP to highlight books that we believe will resource Christian leaders in specific and crucial ways given the challenges and opportunities of our day. For us, this means curating a series of books that both embody and address the issues of comprehensive mutuality, hopeful witness, and church in mission as vital to the health and integrity of the church."

The IVP titles that currently make up the IVP/Missio Alliance line include:

The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Missional-Incarnational Communities by JR Woodward and Dan White Jr.
Embrace: God’s Radical Shalom for a Divided World by Leroy Barber
Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations About Sexuality and Spirituality by Debra Hirsch
Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission by David E. Fitch

Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP Books, said, "In today's contemporary context, we increasingly need pastor/practitioners who can navigate both church and culture with theological savvy and pastoral insight. Missio Alliance provides those kinds of authors and books, and IVP is glad to cultivate such strategic voices."

The purpose of the partnership is to bring greater exposure of both organizations to each of their respective audiences and to highlight key voices that are associated with both IVP and Missio Alliance. The IVP editorial committee will collaborate with Missio Alliance on proposed titles that reflect the ethos and aims of Missio Alliance, and, in turn, the marketing teams for each organization will work together to promote those books and authors.

Helen Lee, IVP's director of marketing, said, "We are delighted to be formalizing a partnership with Missio Alliance. So many of our key authors are already connected with this increasingly important voice in evangelicalism, and we share a theological identity that is reflected in this line of co-branded books. We look forward to including many more books and authors in this line in the years to come."

IVP will also be a co-sponsoring partner of Missio Alliance's third North American gathering, Awakenings: The Mission of the Spirit as the Life of the Church, April 27-29, 2017, at Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.

Joint Statement on IVP Academic & Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Matter

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 18:20:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press Publisher Jeff Crosby has confirmed that the Society of Biblical Literature's Council, at its next meeting on October 29-30, is taking up the question of IVP Academic's right to exhibit at the 2017 annual meetings of the jointly-hosted AAR-SBL. That conversation is a part of a larger discussion the SBL Council will have regarding its protocols and standards for exhibitors at its events.

Crosby was notified of this intent to in a letter of October 12, 2016 from John Kutsko, SBL's executive director, who made clear that it is a question — not a decision — regarding whether or not IVP Academic will continue to have access to the exhibit space.

"I have been grateful for the cordial conversations I’ve had with John Kutsko of SBL, and appreciate the many complexities a person in his role is navigating at any given time,” Crosby said. “For 70 years, IVP has been committed to fostering dialogue and a robust exchange of ideas. All of us who represent the IVP Academic program genuinely hope the Council will continue to make room for the particularity of the discourse that IVP Academic brings to the theological academy via SBL’s annual events. Indeed, the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature gatherings have been an essential component for our academic program for more than three decades.”

“While many concerned scholars have commented on social media and by email about a supposed ban of InterVarsity Press from exhibiting at the SBL-AAR Annual Meeting, IVP has not been banned or limited in any way at the Annual Meeting or for other matters relating to SBL. At its meeting later this month, the SBL Council will discuss protocols and standards for exhibitors and other groups associated with SBL in the context of ongoing discussions involving academic freedom and the disciplinary standards of discourse the organization fosters. Indeed, IVP was invited to contribute to this conversation. Further, SBL was not speaking for the American Academy of Religion, though any protocols for exhibitors would be drafted in conjunction with it. Finally, SBL values the contribution of IVP, and many SBL members have published with the Press,” John F. Kutsko, Executive Director, Society of Biblical Literature, said.

Joint Resolution Statement from Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) and InterVarsity Press

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 18:47:00 GMT

The Society of Biblical Literature and InterVarsity Press have been in conversation regarding the exhibition of IVP books at the Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion. This joint meeting is the largest academic conference for the study of religion and religious texts within the context of the humanities and social science disciplines. The exhibit hall is the largest annual bookstore for biblical scholarship and religious studies. A recent InterVarsity Christian Fellowship reaffirmation of theological positions that can impact employees raised concerns for SBL regarding IVP's commitment to critical discourse.

Speaking on behalf of IVP, Jeff Crosby, IVP Publisher, stated: "InterVarsity Press has an historic commitment to peer-reviewed scholarship. This scholarship focuses on historical, textual, and theological subjects from multiple, competing, and even contradictory points of view—and IVP's publications have done so in thoughtful and civil ways. IVP understands that SBL has expressed concern that our internal personnel policy might have an effect on the practice of critical scholarship and the expression of ideas. However, it should be understood that IVP remains committed to the free exchange of ideas in its books, even engagement with ideas that challenge IVCF as an organization. IVP also recognizes that participation in the SBL forum necessitates dialogic discourse. Indeed, IVP remains committed to the ongoing diversity of its program and to fostering the type of critical engagement that both affirms and challenges ideas."

SBL Executive Director, John Kutsko, has responded as follows: "The Society of Biblical Literature seeks to advance academic study of biblical texts and their contexts as well as of the traditions and contexts of biblical interpretation—both secular and religious. It does so by facilitating broad and open discussion from a variety of critical perspectives. SBL recognizes InterVarsity Press's historic willingness to engage in the frank and open critique of many theological and social issues, including positions it holds. Further, SBL commends IVP for affirming its ongoing commitment to self-reflection and the free exchange of ideas. This is a bedrock principle of scholarship and essential to the environment SBL seeks to create with organizations and groups that participate in its meetings. SBL remains unwavering in its expectation that all groups participating in its meetings permit free expression and promote the critique necessary for the advancement of knowledge."

These statements address SBL's concern regarding IVP's commitment to critical discourse.

Silence and Beauty Awarded Distinguished 2016 Aldersgate Prize

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 20:21:00 GMT

Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering by Makoto Fujimura has been awarded the distinguished 2016 Aldersgate Prize by the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University.

"Motivated by the ethos of our Honors College's community of Christian liberal learning, the Aldersgate Prize celebrates the outstanding achievement of an author whose scholarly inquiry challenges reductionistic trends in academia by yielding a broad, integrative analysis of life's complexities, while shedding fresh light on ultimate questions that enliven historic Christian conceptions of human flourishing," said Stacy Hammons, provost for Indiana Wesleyan and chair of the John Wesley Honors College. "After reviewing scores of nominations over the last five months, our selection committee believes your book best exemplifies these ideals. I congratulate you on the unique and substantial achievement that Silence and Beauty represents."

Fujimura will receive $3,500, an engraved glass sculpture from Kokomo Opalescent Glass (the oldest continuously operating decorative glass producer in the country), recognition in both Books and Culture and Christian Scholar's Review, and the opportunity to offer the keynote address at Indiana Wesleyan University's Celebration of Scholarship Luncheon in April 2017.

Shusaku Endo's novel Silence took Fujimura, an internationally renowned visual artist, on a pilgrimage of grappling with the nature of art, the significance of pain, and his own cultural heritage. Silence, first published in 1966, endures as one of the greatest works of twentieth-century Japanese literature. Its narrative of the persecution of Christians in seventeenth-century Japan raises uncomfortable questions about God and the ambiguity of faith in the midst of suffering and hostility.

Publishers Weekly offered this review of Silence and Beauty in March 2016: "Fujimura... unearths universal implications about faith, suffering, and art in this focused literary study of one novel, Shusaku Endo's Silence... Fujimura analyzes Japan's fumi-e culture, calling it 'a culture of lament,' and asserts that 'faith can include our failures, even multiple failures.' Stories of historical figures on which Endo based Silence, scriptural analysis, and a wide range of literary and artistic references from both Japanese and Western culture (including Martin Scorsese's 2016 film adaptation of Silence) add rich, refracted layers to this carefully crafted, masterful book."

Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP Books, said, "We at IVP are thrilled that Silence and Beauty is being honored for its distinctive integrative vision and literary contribution. Mako Fujimura is of course already internationally renowned for his visual art, and it is gratifying to see him recognized for his writing as well. Congrats, Mako!"

InterVarsity Press Designers Receive Top Shelf Book Cover Awards

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 18:21:00 GMT

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) honored InterVarsity Press designers Cindy Kiple and David Fassett with Top Shelf Book Cover Awards last week at PUBu 2016 held at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. The Top Shelf program highlights book design excellence, intelligence, and beauty.

"I was honored to lead a session at PUBu16 about the role of excellent design in selling books," said IVP publisher Jeff Crosby. "We are fortunate to have two such skilled designers in our midst, and I'm grateful our industry recognized that."

Kiple, who has been with IVP for fourteen years, was honored for her work on the cover for Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering by internationally renowned visual artist Makoto Fujimura. Kiple said, "For the cover of Silence and Beauty, because Mako Fujimura is reflecting on Shusaku Endo's book Silence, I wanted to use the Japanese symbols for silence and for beauty, which are beautiful in their own right. The velum dust jacket makes the cover more quiet to reflect the idea of silence as well as hiddenness, which is mentioned in the subtitle. The small, simple font is also meant to be simple and quiet."

Fassett, who has been with IVP for seven years, received the Top Shelf Book Cover Award for his work on The Radical Pursuit of Rest: Escaping the Productivity Trap by John Koessler. Fassett's design features the simple image of a pillow on a gray backdrop with varying font colors to convey the simplicity of rest as well as the constant struggle to find it. "The image is intended to allude to the paradoxical nature of the title," Fassett said. "Given the boldness of the image, I wanted to soften the overall feel of the cover with the typeface and colors by using a warmer more vibrant color to highlight 'Radical' and a cooler more relaxing color for 'Rest.'"

Lorraine Caulton, IVP's director of creative and customer engagement, said, "The creative and excellent designs of Cindy Kiple and David Fassett have been a gift to InterVarsity Press. It's exciting for all of us at IVP to get the chance to celebrate them publicly with awards like these from ECPA."

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Reiterates Theology of Human Sexuality

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 18:17:00 GMT

Read InterVarsity's entire statement here.

IVP Welcomes Academic and Library Marketing Manager

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 17:18:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce Parker Hathaway as IVP's new academic and library marketing manager.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Parker Hathaway in his role here at IVP," said Helen Lee, IVP's director of marketing. "I had been acquainted with Parker's excellent marketing skills before he joined us, and I am thrilled that our books and authors will now have the opportunity to benefit from his experience and energy."

Hathaway previously served as the audience development specialist for church leaders at Moody Publishers and was their Amazon specialist for a brief time.

Sally Sampson Craft, who was the interim marketing director during the search process, said, "Parker's previous work demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning, experimentation, and measurement that fits well with IVP's culture and goals. It was evident from our selection process that he would bring both experience and vision to our academic and library marketing program—and add fuel to our ongoing author coaching and customer engagement initiatives."

In describing his new role Hathaway recalled the words of Luke Miller, his predecessor in this position. "My predecessor said it perfectly: 'IVP Academic is here to help pastors become more thoughtful and academics to become more pastoral.' It's thus my distinct privilege to leverage digital marketing in our efforts to deliver content that is designed to affect the hearts and minds of church and academic leaders and students."

Remembering Renowned Old Testament Pastor-Scholar J. Alec Motyer

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 17:16:00 GMT

J. Alec Motyer, renowned Old Testament author, pastor, and scholar, passed away on August 26 at the age of ninety-one.

J. Alec Motyer

Motyer devoted much of his academic life to the study of the Old Testament, particularly the book of Isaiah. He was the editor or author of more than ten books, including the award-winning The Prophecy of Isaiah. Motyer was also Old Testament editor of IVP's commentary series The Bible Speaks Today and authored several volumes in that series. Although esteemed by great scholars and teachers such as Don Carson and Tim Keller, Motyer once said, "I'm not really a scholar. I'm just a man who loves the Word of God."

John Goldingay, a friend and fellow Old Testament author, is one of the scholars who was deeply impacted by Motyer. He said, "Alec Motyer enthused winsomely about the theological and spiritual significance of the Old Testament, and about the value of reading the text carefully. He conveyed his quiet enthusiasm to such effect that after fifty years I still share it."

"Born John Alexander Motyer in Dublin," writes Justin Taylor for The Gospel Coalition, "he graduated with a BD (1949) and MA (1951) from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland, and did further studies at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1947 as a deacon, and then in 1948 as a priest, serving as a curate in Penn Fields, Wolverhampton (1947–1950), and at Holy Trinity Church in Bristol (1950–1954). In Bristol, he also served as Tutor, and then Vice Principal, of Clifton College (1950–1965). From there he became Vicar of St Luke's, West Hampstead (1965–1970), but returned to Bristol as Deputy Principal of Tyndale Hall (1970–1971), and then became the principal of the reconstituted Trinity College (1971–1981). His final decade of active parish ministry was as the Minister at Westbourne (Bournemouth) (1981–1989)."

Dan Reid, associate publisher and IVP Academic editorial director, said, "Alec Motyer was an important figure in the resurgence of evangelical biblical studies in the UK in the 1950s and following decades. It was the privilege of InterVarsity Press (USA) to have a part in bringing his work to a North American audience."

In a tribute on Reformation21.org, Terry Johnson recalls what it was like learning from Motyer as a student at Trinity College in Dublin. "'Packer and Motyer' (we came to speak of them as one) were and are simply the two most godly men I have ever known," Johnson wrote. He added that he would describe them this way: "What Packer is in print, Motyer is from the pulpit and lectern."

"Mr. Motyer's lasting contribution, if not the recordings of his lectures and sermons, will be his publications," Johnson said. "He holds the distinction, along with John Stott, of writing commentaries about which one may say, 'If I have his, I have all I need.'"

One passage in particular from The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary stood out to Reid with regard to Motyer's legacy. In the preface, Motyer had this to say about his grappling with the great prophet:

As I look back now, and particularly over the intensive activity of the last three years, there rises unbidden the picture of a very small mouse nibbling heroically at a very large cheese. Indeed it is no picture but a reality, and now that all is at last done, like Reepicheep of Narnia (though, please God, without his endearing bumptiousness), I too lay my sword at the feet of him who alone is worthy of all praise, the Servant of the Lord, the reigning King and the coming Anointed Conqueror, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Disaster Ministry Handbook Author Receives FEMA Community Preparedness Award

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 17:15:00 GMT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded Jamie Aten, coauthor of Disaster Ministry Handbook, with the Community Preparedness Champion Award, one of eleven honors given out as part of the 2016 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards.

Jamie Aten, coauthor of Disaster Ministry Handbook

"We are more prepared for disasters when everyone in the community works together," said FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. "FEMA is proud to honor individuals and organizations who are building communities that are more prepared for emergencies through creativity, innovation, and collaboration."

Aten is the founder and codirector with David Boan of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI), the country's first faith-based academic disaster research center. Building on his own personal experience with disaster response as well as academic research, Aten has helped faith-based organizations (FBOs) improve individual and community preparedness and has trained more than 2,000 individuals and leaders associated with FBOs. In September Aten will be taking a team from HDI to help train and do research amid the flooded areas of Baton Rouge.

"Jamie Aten has worked diligently to provide relief and hope in the wake of natural and human disasters of all kinds, and we are grateful that his Humanitarian Disaster Institute and Disaster Ministry Handbook have been helpful to many," said Al Hsu, senior editor, IVP Books.

Aten and Boan coauthored Disaster Ministry Handbook to help churches prepare for events like the recent flood in Louisiana and in turn to provide relief to survivors, care for the vulnerable, and to help communities recover. "Most people do not know how to effectively prepare for or respond to disasters. Moreover, in conducting research around the globe, David and I have found that there is a great deal of variability among how ready churches are for disasters," Aten said. "Some churches in high-risk areas are relatively prepared, and others little or not at all. We have found an alarming trend—most churches realize there are threats, but few do anything ahead of time to actually prepare for disasters." Filled with resources for emergency planning and crisis management, Disaster Ministry Handbook provides best practices for local congregations.

Aten will be recognized with the other FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award recipients on September 13, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Hsu said, "We at IVP heartily congratulate Jamie on this award, and we are hopeful that this recognition will extend the reach of his work in restoring shalom to individuals and communities."

For more about Aten's work visit jamieaten.com.

IVP Announces New Director of Marketing and Recent Management Transitions

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 17:13:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce that Helen Lee has accepted IVP's recently created director of marketing position. Lee has served as the associate editor for IVP Books and IVP Praxis since 2014 and will officially move from her editorial role on October 3.

Helen Lee, director of marketing

"Though we know Helen as an acquisitions and development editor, she came to us with a varied background educationally and professionally, including launching an internet start-up company, working at Christianity Today, and envisioning the tool that became Best Christian Workplaces," Jeff Crosby, IVP's publisher, said. "As someone said to me in the process, 'Helen has been full of marketing ideas since the day she joined IVP!' She will now get the chance to apply those ideas to our publishing program and work with an excellent team currently in place across academic, general, and Bible study portions of our list."

Lee has more than two decades of experience publishing in the Christian market, beginning with her role as a reporter and then editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of The Missional Mom and the coeditor of and contributor to Growing Healthy Asian American Churches. Lee has won multiple awards from the Evangelical Press Association for her reporting and devotional writing.

Cindy Bunch, IVP's associate publisher, editorial, said, "Helen Lee is an excellent editor with a strong publishing sense, which has been revealed in her ability to work with authors and develop book projects. She has been a great asset to the editorial department at IVP. I look forward to continuing to work with her as she transitions to leading our marketing department."

The new director of marketing position came out of the management reorganization that began in April following Crosby's appointment as publisher. With Crosby's move out of his role as associate publisher and director of sales and marketing, and the retirement of several key leaders at IVP, including former publisher Bob Fryling and Andy Le Peau, associate publisher for editorial, the reorganization was set in motion to fill the voids left by key leaders, to broaden the leadership team's skills and perspectives, and to create a strong management team for a constantly changing publishing industry.

Crosby said that Managing Transitions by William Bridges was a guiding influence for the reorganization: "William Bridges' work on managing transitions and making the most of change was formational to how we approached assessing not only our current organizational needs but longer-range planning," Crosby said. "I'm grateful for the ways in which our leadership team and our entire staff have embraced this time of significant change."

Crosby's former position was divided into the director of marketing and the director of sales roles. Justin Paul Lawrence, previously the academic and library sales manager for IVP, now serves as the director of sales, overseeing the in-house sales team and the Noble Marketing Sales Group. In addition, Andrew Bronson, who has served as the special markets sales manager and digital marketing manager since he joined IVP in 2001, will now lead alongside Lawrence and Lee as the senior marketing manager. Crosby said, "Andrew and Helen have worked very well together cross-departmentally and I look forward to what they and the rest of the marketing team will do together in this new alignment."

Other appointments that have come out of the management reorganization include:

Lorraine Caulton, creative and consumer engagement director
Dan Reid, associate publisher and IVP Academic editorial director
Jon Boyd, associate IVP Academic editorial director
Dave Page, interim director of finance and accounting
Marsha Barnish, assistant director of sales
Marty Schoenleber III, eCommerce and sales analytics manager

“Bedrock” of InterVarsity Press Operations to Retire in September

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 17:00:00 GMT

After thirty-two years of managing the behind-the-scenes operations at InterVarsity Press (IVP), Jim Hagen, director of business and finance, has announced that he will retire on September 16, 2016.

"Some members of a publisher's staff are highly visible to those outside the company's four walls, while others are the bedrock of all that goes on internally," Jeff Crosby, IVP's publisher, said. "Jim Hagen has been IVP's bedrock for thirty-two years, providing exceptional competence in a wide range of tasks from financial management and human resources to overseeing the care and maintenance of our physical plant—and much, much more. And he has done it all with a great deal of humility, gentleness, and wisdom. His mark will be felt at IVP for decades to come."

Bob Fryling, who served as publisher at IVP from 1997 until July 2016, recalled meeting and recognizing Hagen's character long before his time at IVP. "I actually first met Jim (and Paulette) about fifty years ago at the University of Michigan when we were housemates together, little knowing that we would be again just down the hall from each other thirty years later! But even as a college student Jim was known for his impeccable integrity and wonderful relational disposition. These rich character traits plus an expertise in business and finances have made Jim a trusted leader in our business and finance department and a core part of IVP's leadership team. IVP will truly miss Jim's presence and contributions."

Hagen joined IVP in 1984 after working in sales for Southwestern Publishing Company. He has played key roles in the selection of IVP's computer systems and in two major building expansions in 1985 and 2007. Hagen has also helped manage the bookstore operations at eleven Urbana Missions Conferences, putting around 700,000 books into the hands of attendees.

Hagen said, "Since my involvement with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Michigan, IVP books have shaped my Christian life for over fifty years. It's been a joy to work at IVP. During my time at the press we have shipped sixty-nine million books, changing lives around the world. I know I will continue to grow through IVP books and am thankful for being involved with IVP's ministry."

Hagen is looking forward to traveling the country with his wife, Paulette, to spend time with their children and grandchildren.

InterVarsity Press Hosts Latino/a Consultation to Further Development in Diverse Publishing

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 19:44:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press was honored to host their first Latino-focused publishing consultation at their offices in Westmont, IL, June 15-17. As a reflection of IVP's long-standing goal to publish books and authors of diverse backgrounds and voices, the representatives at the Latino/a Consultation included nineteen men and women from within the academy, the church, and religious non-profit world.

"We began planning this event over a year ago out of our long-standing commitment to multiethnicity and our specific desire to see and hear more Latino/a voices represented in Christian publishing," said Deborah Gonzalez, IVP's social media manager and the facilitator of the consultation. "The three days we spent together went extraordinarily well—better than we could have ever imagined. Friendships were deepened, new relationships were formed, and deep trust was built. Listening to the needs of the Latino/a community and dialoguing about the nuances between different contexts was especially valuable as we consider what kinds of books are needed and how we can better reach Latino audiences with our resources."

Noel Castellanos, CEO of CCDA, worked with Gonzalez to plan out the consultation, selecting potential participants, planning out which content to cover, and making sure to structure the meetings to gain as many insights as possible.

"I am very grateful to the staff of IVP for creating the space to bring key Latino leaders and authors together to envision the possibility of seeing more books published by Latinos, both for our communities and for the church at large," said Castellanos. "With the growing demographic of Latinos in our nation, it is imperative that we hear this emerging voice in order to be relevant in our kingdom outreach."

Throughout the week, the participants shared with leaders in editorial and marketing at IVP their personal and collective goals for publishing, how the diversity of the Latino community can impact publishing more broadly, and their own ideas and pitches for future books.

As a counterpart, representatives from IVP were able to present to the group about what to expect from publishing today, providing a series of talks on marketing, the production process, editorial, publicity, and platform.

"It was a privilege to have this group of men and women at InterVarsity Press for three days of robust conversation, deep and strategic thinking, and mission-focused challenges to us as a publishing house as together we contemplated ways to give voice to Latino and Latina authors in the years ahead," Jeff Crosby, IVP's publisher, said. "The staff at IVP came away both inspired and instructed by the participants, and we sensed a strong commitment from everyone involved to find ways to write and publish into critical concerns for churches, cultures, and the academy."

This consultation follows a history of such conferences for IVP, starting in 1999 and 2000 with African American and Asian American consultations respectively. In 2009, IVP also hosted a multiethnic publishing consultation which focused on how publishers can be more diverse in the workplace.

"Over the years Bob Fryling, when serving as our publisher, was able to secure special funding for a series of consultations that have helped us grow in key areas," said Cindy Bunch, associate publisher, editorial. "These consultations are an opportunity for us to learn more about the needs of various communities so that we can adapt our work to serve a broader constituency. Equally significantly, they are an opportunity for us to encourage and develop new voices in publishing. We are very grateful to have this latest grant for a Latino/a publishing consultation. We look forward to introducing readers to many new Latino/a voices as a result."

As Al Hsu, senior editor for IVP Books, wrote in 2014, "We at IVP sometimes describe ourselves as a 'multiethnic' publisher. What do we mean by that? It simply means that we aim for our books and authors to reflect the diversity of the global church, in all its myriad variety and vitality."

IVP Titles Receive Top Honors from Logos Association and Foreword Reviews

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 19:49:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce the recipients of top awards from both the Logos Association and Foreword Reviews.

The Logos Association Bookstore Award for the Best Christian Living Book for 2016 went to The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam McHugh. IVP publisher Jeff Crosby said, "We've had a long and fruitful relationship with Logos dating back to the late 1960s and the first of its stores near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, started by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. We are privileged to accept this award on behalf of Adam."

The Listening Life, also named one of Bookwise's Favorite Books of the Year, explores listening as the heart of discipleship, spirituality, relationships, and vocation. New Testament professor Scot McKnight said, "On every page Adam McHugh offers wisdom that slowly marches us into a deeper kind of life, one marked by listening to God in a way that teaches us how to listen to one another and to ourselves. There are two kinds of people: those who talk and those who listen—the former need to read this book slowly and listen well to the lesson about reverse listening, while the latter will discover fresh light on a discipline now deepened."

Foreword Reviews announced that Embracing the Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone by Tara Owens is the gold winner in the body, mind, and spirit category for its 18th annual INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards. Foreword reviewer Kristine Morris wrote: "Through a gentle, compassionate exploration of our thoughts and feelings about our bodies, enhanced with exercises for reflection, Owens helps us to learn what it means to be at home in our own skin and sensitive to the body's innate wisdom."

INDIEFAB also gave honorable mention honors to two IVP titles, Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture by Mark Yarhouse in the psychology category and A Second Shot of Coffee with Jesus by David Wilkie in the graphic novels and comics category.

Yarhouse, an expert in sexual identity and therapy, challenges the church to rise above political hostilities and listen to people's stories. InUnderstanding Gender Dysphoria he offers a Christian perspective on transgender issues that eschews simplistic answers and appreciates the psychological and theological complexity. The result is a book that engages the latest research while remaining pastorally sensitive to the experiences of each person.

A Second Shot of Coffee with Jesus is the sequel to Coffee with Jesus, based on the wildly popular online comic Coffee with Jesus. Publishers Weekly said, "The four-panel strip is all wit, since it relies on static clip art drawn from the annals of Sunday school lessons and 1950s advertisements... The comics are a kind of 21st-century parable: short and provocative, gentle and non-judgey, examining common questions and (mis)conceptions about Jesus."

Foreword Reviews is the only review magazine solely dedicated to discovering new independent books. INDIEFAB is Foreword's Book of the Year program and honors titles for their editorial excellence, production, originality, accuracy, and contribution to their genre.

Narrowed down from nearly 2,000 entries by a panel of librarians and booksellers, along with Foreword Reviews' editorial staff, the winners in 66 categories are considered the year's best books published by independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors. Foreword Reviews made the announcement in a live presentation at the American Library Association Annual Conference.

A complete list of winners can be found at indiefab.forewordreviews.com/winners/2015.

Faith and the Arts Merged in New Series from InterVarsity Press

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 20:04:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce the launch of a new series focusing on the intersection between faith and the humanities, Studies in Theology and the Arts (STA). The books in this series, the first of which releases this month and is entitled Modern Art and the Life of a Culture, seek to enable Christians to reflect more deeply upon the relationship between their faith and humanity's artistic and cultural expressions.

"I am excited to continue IVP's tradition of exploring the intersection of our faith in Christ and our artistic endeavors through this new series," says David McNutt, associate editor at IVP Academic and editor of the STA series. McNutt has a personal interest in theology and the arts, having studied the subject at St. Andrews and completed his doctoral work at Cambridge. "I look forward to seeing how these authors and books can contribute to the shaping of our theological imagination."

By drawing on the insights of both academic theologians and artistic practitioners, this series encourages thoughtful engagement with and critical discernment of the full variety of artistic media—including visual art, music, literature, film, theater, and more—which both embody and inform Christian thinking.

The advisory board for this series naturally consists of theologians and artists alike, including Makoto Fujimura, director of the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of Silence and Beauty. He adds, "Studies in Theology and the Arts provides Christian scholars, artists, and church leaders with an opportunity to shape our theological perspective on the arts in light of the creative realities of our Maker God. These resources can help by extending the salvific narrative into broader creation and new creation narratives, enriching our grasp of the gospel, and revealing how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

Others on the advisory board include Jeremy Begbie, professor of theology and director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts at Duke Divinity School; Craig Detweiler, professor of communication at Pepperdine University; Matthew Milliner, assistant professor of art history at Wheaton College; Ben Quash, professor of Christianity and the arts at King's College London; Linda Stratford, professor of art history and history at Asbury University; W. David O. Taylor, assistant professor of theology and culture and the director of Brehm Texas at Fuller Theological Seminary; Gregory Wolfe, publisher and editor of Image; and Judith Wolfe, senior lecturer in theology and the arts at the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews.

Modern Art and the Life of a Culture: The Religious Impulses of Modernism by Jonathan A. Anderson and William A. Dyrness brings together the disciplines of art history and theology and points to the signs of life in modern art in order to help Christians navigate these difficult waters. Anderson, an artist, art critic, and associate professor of art at Biola University, and Dyrness, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, showcase the interdisciplinary nature of this series by merging their respective fields to contribute to broader cultural development.

"Studies in Theology and the Arts from IVP Academic promises to make an invaluable contribution to this field," says Gregory Wolfe. "It will not only provide a platform for the important work currently being done but also set a standard that will inspire new generations of scholars and critics."

The next volume in the series, Cameron J. Anderson's The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts, draws upon Anderson's experiences as both a Christian and a practicing artist, exploring the dynamics of faith and art. It releases in November 2016.

For more information about the Studies in Theology and the Arts series, please visit ivpress.us.

Gifted Author, Lecturer, and Scholar Kenneth E. Bailey Dies

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 19:34:00 GMT

Kenneth E. Bailey, respected author, lecturer, and one of our most gifted Middle Eastern New Testament studies scholars, passed away Monday evening, May 23, 2016, at the age of eighty-five.

Kenneth E. Bailey

"I first came across Ken Bailey's The Cross and the Prodigal in the 1970s and it transformed my understanding of how to read the New Testament," said Andy Le Peau, former associate publisher, editorial, for InterVarsity Press and longtime personal editor for Bailey. "When I found out the book had gone out of print in the US, I contacted Ken about publishing a new edition, which he was very happy to do. This led to IVP being privileged to publish several other books by Ken, including Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes and his last book The Good Shepherd."

Bailey, known for his brilliant scholarship surrounding New Testament studies and the Middle Eastern church, authored more than 150 articles in English and in Arabic during his lifetime. His books include Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, The Cross and the Prodigal, Open Hearts in Bethlehem (A Christmas Musical), Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes, and The Good Shepherd.

"Kenneth Bailey played a unique role as a biblical scholar," said Dan Reid, editorial director for IVP Academic. "Having spent over sixty years of his life in the Middle East, he was deeply familiar with Middle Eastern culture, from its peasant life to its ancient texts in their original languages. All of this and more he brought to his reading of the Bible. His work on the nature of the oral tradition behind the Gospels has informed recent scholarly debate. And his illumination of the parables of Jesus against their background was an exceptional gift to the church, transforming our reading of the Gospels in a way few interpreters have done."

Bailey's publishing history with InterVarsity Press is extensive, and his scholarship directly impacted both IVP's publishing program and several generations of employees.

Cindy Bunch, associate publisher, editorial, for InterVarsity Press, said, "Ken Bailey had a fascinating and informative perspective on studying Scripture 'through Middle Eastern eyes.' His work penetrated deep into our office culture, and we even found ourselves performing his Christmas drama Open Hearts in Bethlehem one year."

"One of the distinct privileges I had during my time at IVP Academic was working with Ken on his massive book, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes," adds Michael Gibson, acquisitions editor with Fortress Press. "I will count that always as one of the rare honors. I came away from that struck by Ken's passion, erudition, care, attention to detail, and zeal for honoring Scripture, history, culture, and people. He was not only a teacher but a continuous learner."

Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes was awarded the 2012 Book of the Year in Biblical Studies by Christianity Today, with the magazine praising it as "the fruit of decades of rhetorical analysis and cross-cultural anthropological work. We often hear Paul's answers without knowing the questions. Bailey comes to our aid by explaining what life would be like in Paul's Roman Mediterranean world."

Bailey was born November 24, 1930, in Bloomington, IL, but spent much of his childhood in Egypt, where his parents, Ewing and Annette, served as Presbyterian missionaries. His upbringing gave him background knowledge of the Middle East, helped him learn to speak fluent Arabic, and paved the way for him to be welcomed in later years to countries throughout the region as a New Testament professor.

He received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Monmouth College (IL) in 1952, marrying Ethel, his wife of nearly sixty-four years, shortly after receiving his diploma. He went on to receive his masters of divinity in 1955 and masters in theology in 1961, both from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He began his work in the Middle East during this time, studying Arabic studies with the School of Oriental Studies at the American University in Cairo from 1955–1957. He later graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis in 1972 with his doctorate of theology.

A beloved teacher, Bailey spoke in theological colleges and seminaries in England (Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol) Ireland, Canada, Egypt, Finland, Latvia, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, and Jerusalem. He was active as a Bible teacher for conferences and continuing education events in the Middle East, Europe, and North America, and he taught at Columbia, Princeton, and Fuller Seminary. Bailey was also an ordained Presbyterian minister, serving as Canon Theologian of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Much of Bailey's career was spent travelling the globe to lecture and continue his research, living and teaching for forty years in seminaries and institutes in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem, and Cyprus. For twenty of those years he was professor of New Testament and head of the Biblical Department of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, where he also founded and directed the Institute for Middle Eastern New Testament Studies. Bailey was also on the faculty of the Ecumenical Institute for Theological Research in Jerusalem.

Overwhelmingly, the theme of Bailey's books, articles, and lectures was on the importance of context when examining Scripture. Gary Burge, professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School, said, "(Bailey) once told me: 'The question is never if cultural assumptions will shape our exegesis—the question is: whose cultural assumptions will shape exegesis.' In book after book he modeled what he called 'Oriental Exegesis,' meaning that insights gleaned from an understanding of ancient eastern Mediterranean culture will change how we read our texts. And he was right. Thousands of pastors today and countless commentary writers are explaining the gospels thanks to Dr. Bailey's deep well of cultural understanding. Ken Bailey was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a faithful follower of Jesus, and one who loved the Middle East for the duration of his life."

Jeff Crosby, associate publisher and director of sales and marketing at IVP said, "Ken Bailey's insightful work has nourished and challenged the church and the academy for years. It was a pleasure to bring his wise reading of Scripture in cultural contexts to readers for the better part of the past two decades. His is a voice that will be missed."

In one of his final lectures in January of 2016, Bailey reiterated this message: "The Church, living under the authority of Scripture, is not a snowman in grave danger of melting away because of the burning rays of a hot secular sun that is beating down upon it. Rather, it is the flock of God, saved by the Divine Shepherd who safely leads his sheep through angry waters to quiet inlets where the sheep can drink and be renewed to go in and out as they live their lives and fulfill their ministries having received amazing grace sufficient to overcome 'many dangers, toils, and snares.' May it so be with us, today."

View IVP's tribute to Bailey at ivpress.com/kenneth-e-bailey.

InterVarsity Press Announces New Series Bridging Science and Faith

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 19:19:00 GMT

InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce a new series in conjunction with their partnership with the BioLogos Foundation: BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity. BioLogos invites the church and the world to see the harmony between science and biblical faith while presenting an evolutionary understanding of God's creation.

"BioLogos has been instrumental in helping evangelicals understand how evolutionary science is not merely compatible with Christian faith but even beneficial to it," says David Congdon, associate editor for IVP Academic and project editor for the series. "Instead of a competition between Christianity and evolution, they see the possibility of a charitable, productive dialogue that can enrich the life of the church. They represent well the motto of IVP Academic: evangelically rooted and critically engaged. For this reason we are excited to partner with them in publishing a series of books that bridge the church and academy on topics as varied as how the ancient church read Genesis to how the fossil record displays the glory of God's creation. BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity promises to showcase works of vast learning and deep faith."

The books in this series will have wide appeal among Christian audiences, from non-specialists to scholars in the field. While the authors address a range of topics on science and faith, they support the view of evolutionary creation, which sees evolution as our current best scientific description of how God brought about the diversity of life on earth. The series authors are faithful Christians and leading scholars in their fields.

Kathryn Applegate, program director at BioLogos, and J. B. Stump, senior editor at BioLogos, are editors of the series' first volume, How I Changed My Mind About Evolution, a collection of stories from over a dozen evangelical scientists, pastors, biblical scholars, and theologians who have come to embrace both evolution and faith.

"BioLogos is excited about this new partnership with IVP," says Stump. "We see it as an opportunity to connect some of the best thinking and writing about science and Christian faith with the IVP audience of readers. Our first book in the series displays the fruit of many years of thinking about (and living in) the intersection of science and faith. We think the personal stories the contributors tell will resonate with others in all walks of life."

"Many people have never met someone who both loves Jesus and embraces evolution," adds Applegate. "In this first book, we share the stories of thoughtful people from all walks of life who do both. We hope that individuals who are in the midst of a faith crisis over science will find role models and see a way forward."

Contributors to this volume include Francis Collins, John Ortberg, N. T. Wright, James K. A. Smith, and others. The narratives contained in How I Changed My Mind About Evolution show that Christianity and science need not be at war, which is at the heart of the mission for this new series.

Jonathan Merritt, religion writer for The Atlantic and author of Jesus is Better Than You Imagined, adds, "Debates about the origins of the universe and human life have raged within religious communities for more than a century, and today they are fiercer than ever. Many Christians have given the impression that religion and science are at irreconcilable odds, leaving people of faith who find science credible without a way forward. How I Changed My Mind About Evolution seeks to dissolve this false dichotomy. It holds the Bible in high regard without discrediting science’s conclusions."

For more information about the BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity, visit ivpress.us.